Saturday night’s game in Doak Campbell Stadium wasn’t technically a must-win for Clemson.

But to maintain respectability and keep their goals in front of them, it was close to that.

The Tigers answered the bell with a 36-24 win over reeling Florida State (3-5, 1-4 ACC), which has now dropped 3 straight.

Here are takeaways from the offense, defense, and special teams.

Offense

Tait Reynolds is where this section will start, and it’s where tonight’s game ended. The true freshman capped off the best game of his career with a 79-yard touchdown run that essentially sealed Clemson’s win.

Tait Reynolds just made the best play of Clemson’s season.

79-yard TD for the true freshman.
pic.twitter.com/yMJjtEIW8m

— Drew Cagle (@_dcagle) November 1, 2026

For the night, Reynolds put together an admirable performance. He went 18-32 for 189 yards and 2 touchdowns through the air, along with 85 rushing yards and the aforementioned touchdown. Entering Saturday’s game, Clemson’s offense had throw for an FBS-worst two touchdowns on the season (only one of which came from Reynolds). The passing game saw success in a West Coast-style scheme with quick slant and out patterns that Reynolds could connect on quickly.

Offensive coordinator Chad Morris called his best game of the season. Despite having a run game that was hit and miss all night long, the offense drove into Seminole territory time and time again. Without Reynolds’ 79-yard touchdown, Clemson averaged a measly 1.9 yards per carry on the night, yet finished nine different drives in FSU territory.

Both of Clemson’s tight ends saw major production. Christian Bentancur snagged an 18-yard touchdown to draw first blood, and Olsen Patt-Henry hauled in four passes for 30 yards himself. Heading into halftime with a chance to make it a two-score game, Reynolds found Patt-Henry in the flat on play-action, leading to an easy touchdown that gave Clemson a 20-10 advantage.

In total, the offense played its best game of the season given the opposition. Florida State entered with secondary concerns, and Clemson left plays on the field. Despite that, the team scored 36 points for the night, their first time tallying 30 against an FBS team this season.

Defense

Clemson won this game on the defensive side in three areas: forcing turnovers, run defense, and third-down efficiency.

Florida State out-gained the Tigers on the night 415-351, but four turnovers by Ashton Daniels killed chances for FSU to score. Cornerback Elliot Washington recorded two interceptions of the dual-threat quarterback, including one in the end zone that sealed victory in the final minutes.

Elliot Washington celebrating after the game-winning INT: pic.twitter.com/KcRNoiH2jI

— Drew Cagle (@_dcagle) November 1, 2026

On the ground, the Seminoles’ once-formidable attack was held to just 2.2 yards per carry, forcing the offense to be one-dimensional. Clemson’s run defense has improved with each game this season, after being gashed for 309 yards on the ground by LSU in the season opener.

“They’ve just gotten better,” head coach Dabo Swinney said postgame. “Defeating blocks, playing the gaps, executing the calls with more precision, having edges to our defense. (Those were) some of the things that really hurt us early in the year, especially on some of the outside zone stuff. We’ve just gotten better at it.”

Florida State was also stonewalled on possession downs. The Seminoles finished the game 1-for-10 on 3rd downs, and 0-for-1 on 4th downs. The aforementioned run defense put FSU in obvious passing situations (the average 3rd down distance to go was 7.7 yards), leading to success.

Special Teams

What more can be said about Nolan Hauser? The junior continued his tremendous season with a 5-for-5 night on field goals, including a make from 50 yards out. With an offense that stalls out inside scoring range like Clemson’s is prone to do, having a marksman to call on has been critical for Swinney. Hauser even booted a pair of punts, with one traveling a game-high 53 yards. 

Next Up

With a third ACC win in tow, the Tigers stay on the road for a matchup with a suddenly formidable Syracuse (4-4, 2-4 ACC) team. Clemson will look to exact revenge for a 34-21 loss to the Orange last year when the teams kick off at noon inside the JMA Wireless Dome next Saturday.